


Getting Along Swimmingly

by secondhandact



Series: Fluff and Drabbles [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Flushed Romance | Matesprits, Karkat can't swim, Rare Pairing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-13
Updated: 2012-07-13
Packaged: 2017-11-09 21:02:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/458379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secondhandact/pseuds/secondhandact
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Part of being your matesprit is learning how to swim.</i>
  <br/>
  <i>You don't know how Karkat got this far without being able to, but before the end of the night, he's going to learn if it krills you.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Getting Along Swimmingly

He's standing at the edge of the water, looking so forlorn that you want to bound over to him and kiss that grouchy expression off of his face, nuzzle his stocky chest and the small little belly pooching out over the crab-patterned swimming pants he's wearing, snuggle your form against him until he stops being so frowny. You would, if it weren't for the fact that you're in the water to try and lure him into the surf, and you know if you come back to land, he's never going to go out to sea.

Your name is Feferi Peixes, and this evening, you're going to teach your erstwhile matesprit how to swim.

He's shivering, and you're getting reely tired of how long he's taking to even dip a toe in the water. "Come on! You're being so _seal_ y, Crabcakes!" You call, paddling lazily through the sleepy waves, which push and pull lightly at you. The sea is calm, the waves are quiet, and it's the perfect night for just relaxing and letting the current catch you. A good night for drifting, and that's why you want to drag him into the water, because if only he'd learn, he could drift with you. He's resisted learning for too long, but once you'd officiated your matespritship, you had put your foot down. No matesprit of yours was going to be incapable of swimming, no matter how many stupid excuses he came up with. Tonight was the night, and there would be no more arguing. Besides, he would be a natural, if only he'd get in the water. You're sure of it!

He grimaces and inches forward, so that the barest edge of surf is lapping at his feet. You huff a sigh, splashing water in his direction. He's being difficult, and you're pretty sure it's intentional, because he's sat in the sand with you before with the water lapping at his knees. That's where he'd been when he'd asked you, all stumbling words and muttered swears, whether or not you were flushed for him. You almost wish you'd taken him by the hands and dragged him under right then, and if you had known how much of a pain in your gills he was going to be about this whole thing, you would have. "It's glubbing cold, Peixes," he says, hugging himself and shivering.

"Seahorseshit," you answer, ignoring his pun, and he kicks water at you, which makes you giggle. You stick your tongue out, going so far as to press your thumbs to your fins and wiggle your fingers at him, which prompts a series of swears from the grumbly Cancer. You scoff. "It was colder when you proposed to me, Krabby," you remind him, and he shakes his head, hugging himself. It's so hard not to just drag him into the water. So hard.

"That was different," he mutters, taking another few steps. "I wasn't damning myself to an uncertain, watery grave." Now the water is swirling around his calves.

You laugh, swimming a little closer, breaching the space between the two of you until your toes brush the sea floor. You stay there, and he watches you. Your nearness must be helping, because he's moving again, until the water closes over his stomach, swim trunks completely submerged. There's trepidation in his eyes, but not fear, and your hope soars. He's going to be swimming within the hour, you just know it. "Now you're being _reel_ -y _seal_ -y," you say, grinning at him. "I don't sea how you could have honestly thought that you could be my matesprit without learning how to swim! Expecting me to just beach myself on dry land for you all the time is pretty shellfish, if you ask me."

He draws in a deep breath, taking a couple more steps, so that he's he's almost close enough for you to touch him. He's stopped though, and you're well aware that you're making a frustrated noise in the back of your throat, because he's almost there. Almost.

"Do you have any idea how glubbing beautiful you are?" The words are sudden and unexpected, and you stiffen for a split-second. You realize he's gone from just watching you to outright staring, and you dip your head down just a little bit, suddenly painfully aware of what he's seeing. Your hair, spread out and flowing over the waves, your goggles perched on your forehead, your horns probably tangled with seaweed. You do not look your best, and the idea that he still thinks you're beautiful is very nearly precious.

You giggle again, splash at him. "Beautiful enough to get you swimming?" You tease. The expression on his face is serious, though; so serious that you find yourself compelled to close the distance between the two of you, reaching to touch his cheek. He's almost the same height as you, maybe an inch taller (not counting your horns, of course), so it's easy to catch his lips with your own. His hands seek yours under the surface of the water, and you tangle your fingers with his. The kiss is quiet, sweet, and when it breaks, you lean your forehead into his own, aware that your goggles are pressed against his skin. You rub your nose gently against his, and he exhales a soft chuckle against your lips.

For a moment, the pair of you remain there, nestled together with the waves tumbling slowly past you. He's warm and you wish you could take him under the water, to your hive, spend your days using him as your personal space-heater. The fact that you can't makes your gills a little tight, and you resolve to look into purchasing an aquatic land-tank for his hive, just so you can spend more time with him, because being in his arms is a little like perfection. It's the only time he smiles, anyway.

When you open your eyes, you realize he's looking at you, and you smile when he combs some of your wet hair out of your face. "Pretty enough to get you swimming?" You murmur, smiling.

"Pretty enough to get me to do anything." Even when his voice is soft, it's still raspy, and when he's quiet, it rasps. "I'm absolutely flushed for you, you shelly little fincess."

You catch yourself bouncing in place. You're pretty sure that Karkat only fishpuns for you because he knows how much it makes you smile, and tonight, it earns him kisses until he laughs, which only momentarily deters you. You cup his face in your hands and plant one last smooch on his lips, before stroking his cheeks. You smile when he does. "Do you trust me?"

He looks almost affronted, which makes you giggle again. Nobody makes you laugh as much as Karkat Vantas does, and you're pretty sure he doesn't even mean to do it half the time. "Are you fucking kidding me? Of coral-" ( _Oh, how you giggle, because that one doesn't even make sense, but he's trying, and it's adorabubble_ ) "-I trust you."

"Then come on. I won't let you sink. I'll be right here." He hesitates, and you tug at his wrist, giving him the sternest look you can summon. "Come _on_ , Crabcakes! Trust me. You're so pitiful! You reely think I'm not going to kelp you swim?"

One second swims by, then another. "Okay." He says, finally, relenting and letting the waves catch his form.

You take his hand and lead him deeper, and he goes willingly with you. He'd follow you to the bottom of the ocean if he could, you know it.

He is your matesprit, and he is worth every bit of effort that teaching him how to swim is going to take.

**Author's Note:**

> This was a birthday present for my moirail. Happy spawnday, dearest H. <3!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [i see before me a new horizon (the 'i'm from the future and i'm your baby' remix)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/719735) by [gatsbyparty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gatsbyparty/pseuds/gatsbyparty)




End file.
